Vw polo carvolution kassensturz

In mid-December of this year, SRF's Kassensturz compared various car subscription offers with leasing and buying. Since the Kassensturz report does not provide a transparent calculation template, we would like to create cost transparency at this point. Since this is our top priority, we provide an Excel spreadsheet. All used data sources and offers are explained in the following article so that you can get your own, accurate picture.


In the following folder you will find an Excel spreadsheet with: cost comparison between purchase/leasing and subscription, a media release from Comparis regarding the holding period of a car, Skoda Octavia data determined by TCS and VW Polo data, also determined by TCS.

But first of all, we would like to point out that a comparison of purchase, leasing and subscription is very difficult, as the three concepts are different.

Since Comparis plays the role of mobility expert in the Kassensturz report, we took a look at their site. We found that the leasing offers listed there are far above our subscription prices. Even when insurance, taxes and tyre changes are not added to the leasing costs.

For example, Comparis has a financing offer (from their former company Credaris) for the Audi A4 for 36 months, no down payment, starting at CHF 1,161 per month. This amount does not include insurance, taxes or tyre changes or their storage. At Carvolution, the Audi A4 is available from 765 CHF/month. With the 765 CHF/month from Carvolution, all costs are already covered except for refueling.

Audi comparis EN

But this is only a small indication of where the car subscription prices are. For a proper comparison, the costs for insurance, tyres, etc. must also be taken into account.

The following applies to the leasing comparison:

for a leasing comparison, it is best to take a concrete leasing offer at hand. Some manufacturers even have online offers where you can directly select additional services, for example under the following link. Then you should consider the following points for a comparison:

  • reduce down payment
  • set the desired term in months
  • select Leasing Plus Comfort (for tyres, service, etc.)
  • select insurance for the optional service

Additionally, take into account taxes and incidental expenses (with the help of the TCS operating costs overview and the corresponding costs from the canton of residence).

Below is a comparison of the Skoda Octavia, firstly in leasing and secondly in subscription. Click here for the complete overview.

Skoda octavia leasing

The Skoda Octavia on lease (in german).

Skoda octavia carvolution en

The Skoda Octavia in the car subscription.

For the purchase comparison:

When buying, a comparison is a bit more difficult, as it is sometimes unclear what the value of a car will be in a few years. You can search for comparative values on Autoscout or find valuations via Eurotax. For the comparison with the purchase, we relied on the following data:

  • Eurotax data for the residual value calculation at purchase
  • TCS data for the running costs
  • road traffic office data for the taxes
  • Comparis media report regarding the holding period of cars in Switzerland

These are exemplary calculations, as there is always a certain amount of uncertainty when calculating the total cost of a car. We therefore recommend individual calculations and are happy to provide assistance. Nevertheless, the above sources provide a good indication and help for a well-founded comparison of a car subscription, a leasing and a car purchase.


If one applies the above data consistently, the following conclusion emerges:

  • from a holding period of 6 years, a purchase can be financially worthwhile compared to a car subscription.
  • Leasing is the most expensive option for all durations, but in contrast to the car subscription, the car can be configured by the customer.
  • The car subscription is particularly attractive for durations of up to 4 years.

In figures for the Skoda Octavia:

Octavia en 2

Comparison Skoda Octavia subscription, purchase and leasing. Click here for a detailed calculation.

Octavia en 1

In concrete numbers.

In figures for a VW Polo:

Polo en 2

Comparison VW Polo subscription, purchase and leasing. Click here for a detailed calculation.

Polo en 1

In concrete numbers.

The most important point of comparison is:

Comparable durations

The holding period has the greatest influence on the subscription costs, the leasing rate and the depreciation of a car. Therefore, it is important to look at comparable durations when comparing costs:


  • Kassensturz comparison: short subscription durations were compared with much longer durations for purchase and leasing.
    • Example: a car with a minimum term of 3 months was extrapolated to create a comparison for a car purchase for 8 years.


  • Carvolution comparison: analyses of subscription, leasing and purchase with equal durations.
    • Example: for the purchase, a comparison of up to 10 years was made. For leasing, on the other hand, only up to 5 years, as longer leasing contracts are unusual.

Otherwise, the assumptions of the cash analysis were taken into account in the calculation. This means that a higher mileage was chosen for the Skoda Octavia and a smaller package for the VW Polo.

The data is from October 2021. In the meantime, the offers may have changed. In addition, the VW Polo in the example calculation is now sold out at Carvolution, but we have some comparable Polos online.

Since the opinion of our customers and also of interested parties is of central importance to us, suggestions and questions may be sent directly to contact@carvolution.com. We are looking forward to it! And we do everything we can to make the costs of owning a car transparent and clear.

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